It's Over
by djinni14
Summary: It's all over. The waiting. The wondering what the other means. Events have forced their hand and now this is it. There is either an US or there never will be. Yet does it really change anything? - COMPLETE


**It's Over**

"You two need to pack everything you can't live without. One guest, Alexis, just one. Right now it's all the space we have unless I learn different," Rick instructed.

"You really think that we'll do it, Dad?" Alexis knew just as Rick, Grams, and her friends knew: things were happening and it had gotten a lot worse in the last few hours.

"If I'm wrong we'll all fly back and go back to living like we had been." Rick doubted that, even if things didn't escalate. Still it was an option.

Alexis saw he had keys in his hand. "Where are you going?" If they were packing he needed to be packing, too.

"To go talk to Kate. One last time, maybe," Rick told both of them.

"Richard." So far as Martha was concerned Kate had made her choice and she could either live or die with it.

He had reached a conclusion. "You told me love isn't a switch, Mother. As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. I need to give her one last chance. I don't know really what she's thinking but it's time to put all my chips into the pot." This would either guarantee that Kate had been toying with his emotions or she could come clean with her feelings. Her live or die feelings.

Alexis didn't like it one bit. She didn't want to hate Kate, but she didn't care for her either.

"At least I'll know," Rick said determinedly. "Just get packed and if you can you can start packing for me. Chelsea gave us two hours to be packed and at the airport or be left behind," he reminded them again.

"We'll be ready, Dad." However, it left Alexis with a choice. She could just choose one friend unless Kate and her dad didn't come. If they didn't she could call two more, have them pack, and go pick them up. She just didn't know how she was going to make a decision.

Rick left them, headed to the parking garage, and got into the car. He gave the Ferrari one last look. He was betting he was never going to see it again.

XxxXxxX

He'd already called the precinct that he hadn't set foot in for over a month. Kate had called him when they had a new body but he'd ignored her calls. Her last message sounded different. She said something but it didn't sound like she knew what she wanted to say so she'd said almost nothing.

If she wasn't home, he would go home and leave her a goodbye message. The same for Jim, only he would get a more detailed message as well as a thank you and a sorry.

XxxXxxX

Kate hated what was in the news so she left the TV off and was trying to get lost in one of the books she had bought but hadn't yet read. Josh was out of the country yet again. Which was actually fine with her. It meant she didn't have to think about it.

Hearing a knock on her door had her wondering just who it could be. She had the day off and Lanie hadn't called to say she was coming over. She left her book and glass of wine and went to answer the door.

A look though her spyhole in the door told her who it was. Instantly her heart rate increased. Castle hadn't talked to her for weeks and had ignored all of her calls about a new body and a new case. She was actually a little happy to have the time so she could think.

Opening the door she greeted him. "Castle?" She was a little shocked when he walked right past her into her apartment. "Come on in." Kate was immediately a little pissed off but swallowed her ire and closed the door.

"We need to talk, Kate," Rick said grimly. "I realize that this is something we don't do, however, this might be our last chance to actually say anything to each other."

"What are you talking about, Castle?" She already didn't like this conversation.

"Have you been watching the news?" Rick inquired.

"I've been trying not to. I thought maybe reading a book and drinking some wine would take my mind off of it." What was in the news was far too depressing to think about, let alone be forced to watch it.

At least Kate knew so that was a good thing. "I have a place that I bought into and Alexis, Mother, and I are leaving the city. If it comes, New York City's going to be target number two if not number one."

"If you came to depress me you can leave," Kate told him. She sat down and picked up her glass of wine to have a sip.

"I'm going to put my cards on the table, Kate. All of them," Rick warned her. He paused for a moment while taking a deep breath. "I love you. I told you I loved you when you got shot. I watched you die on the way to the hospital while Lanie did CPR on you to try and keep you alive.

"Your response was to disappear for three months and you only came back to get the information I had on your mother's case."

"You can leave, Castle." She was nowhere near ready to talk to him about this.

Rick kept talking anyway. "I also know that you lied when you said you didn't remember. I was in the observation room when you told that kid that you remembered every single moment of your shooting. So you've lied to me for the last year."

Kate felt her heart fall to the bottom of her stomach. Yes, she remembered hearing him tell her that he loved her. But she really wasn't ready to hear those words. She'd been trying to be ready but she wasn't there yet.

"You chose Josh instead even though you don't love him and yes, we've had a fight over this already." Rick wasn't going to stop until he'd said everything he came here to say.

"What do you want, Castle?" They didn't do this. She needed to take things really slowly and that meant they didn't confront their feelings no matter how strong they might be.

"They blew up Guam, Kate! One entire island is gone. Even you can guess what comes next. I bought into a place where we can go and escape all this. It's going to escalate and we have chosen to live. I'm here to offer you a chance to live, too.

"But only if you love me. Otherwise you can stay here with or without Josh and live or die."

"What are you talking about?" She knew Guam had been nuked. It was all the news talked about and what was going to come next. However, she wasn't yet ready to tell him that she loved him. She needed a lot more time.

"I've bought a lot of space in a catastrophe bunker. We're packing and flying out to it very soon while we still can, before the FAA grounds all flights no matter the size and shoots down those that don't listen."

Kate rolled her eyes at that. Of course Castle would buy a doomsday bunker to hide out in. It was just like him.

He played almost the last of his cards. "I have space for you and your dad to come with us. If you don't then Alexis gets to invite two more of her friends. This is it, Kate. You can tell me that you love me or you can stay here and be vaporized in the nuclear blast."

"You're overreacting again, Castle. It was an island in the middle of nowhere and they don't have the ability to hit the States let alone New York City." Castle was being weird Castle yet again and she wasn't going to feed his delusions.

"You're ignoring the question, Kate. The question is do you love me and do you want to come live or stay here and die?" It was almost Rick's very last card.

"Castle." She couldn't just say that she loved him. She wasn't ready for that yet. Pressure at work she could handle easily. Pressure that involved her personal life was something she couldn't confront yet.

"Coonan killed your mother and you killed Coonan. Whoever ordered him to kill her is either going to die when the nukes land or he's hiding out in his own bunker. You're never going to reach him. It's over. The question is, are we over?" Rick played his very last card, his last attempt to reach Kate.

"I can't, Castle. Can't you see that I just can't? I have to get him, I have to." It was her life. She couldn't move on with her life until she did.

Rick's shoulders slumped and he hung his head. "I still love you, Kate, and I will even after you vanish in a nuclear blast. There's only you. I told you several times that I think you're extraordinary. But your stubborn streak is going to get you killed."

Kate didn't want to be angry at him, she really didn't. But he had taken this too far. "You can leave now, Castle. There aren't going to be any nukes and I _am_ going to find out who killed my mother. With you or without you."

Rick came up with one last card to play. "Roy knew who it was and he didn't tell any of us. He died keeping his secret. He died to keep you alive. He called me to the hangar to keep you alive. I've been doing my best to keep you alive because I love you."

He waited for her to say something, but she didn't. "Stay here and die then. I'm taking my family where we can live. Goodbye, Kate. I love you." Rick turned and walked toward the door.

"Castle?" Kate even stood up but couldn't get another word out. Her throat was all locked up. It was just that she couldn't.

Rick didn't even look back as he opened the door and walked out. He would tell Alexis she could call two more friends when he got home. The cell towers tended to be a bit overloaded these days.

He did\ have one call he needed to make, though. One last person to talk to.

XxxXxxX

Rick watched as the door opened. "Hi, Jim." He had called him ahead to make sure he would be home.

"Rick! Come on in, son." Jim opened the door wide and made room for him to enter.

Rick apologized up front. "I'm sure you've been watching the news lately and I'm in a hurry so please forgive me if I come on too strong or upset you."

"A nuclear device over Guam. Yeah, I heard. So what brings you here?" Jim knew things were bad and might get a lot worse.

"What I haven't told anyone before is that I bought into a doomsday bunker. I bought two levels that each have three bedrooms. It has a few common floors with access for everyone that bought into the place. I'm taking my family and moving there. We're leaving in about two hours," Rick started off with.

"You really think it's that bad?" Jim wasn't so sure but it had been a really long time since anyone had used a nuclear missile to kill anyone with. Not since WWII, anyway.

"If he hits Japan with one, then yes, I think it's that bad."

Jim walked away from him and thought. "If you're here to get me to go with you the answer is no. Katie's here and I'm not leaving her. I did that once already." He had turned himself into a drunk and put her through hell.

"In a way yes…and no. I love Kate and I told her that when she was shot and got done doing it again just a moment ago. I have space for both of you if Alexis only brings one of her friends. Time is–" Jim interrupted him.

"Let me guess, she either doesn't believe it's that bad or said she doesn't love you which I know is a lie. However, she said no." Jim thought he knew his daughter.

"Pretty much, yes. She's chosen Josh and if that makes her happy then I'm happy for her. I'm here to say goodbye and wish you well. Maybe New York City will take a direct hit and you'll never know that you're dead."

"I can talk to her if you think it's that bad," Jim offered.

"Get stubborn Kate to change her mind?" Rick shook his head. "I played every card I had with her just now and the answer was still no. Maybe I'll see you again and I hope so since that means I'm wrong and overreacting. Though I fear that I'm not. It's been really nice meeting you." Rick held out his hand and shook Jim's when he added his hand.

"Cell phone towers are rather busy right now, but you can call if there's anything I can do for you. Though once we and everyone else is inside it will be locked up tight. No one in or out."

"I understand, son. I will hope that you're wrong and that you wasted your money," Jim told him.

"I wish you luck, Jim. You and Kate." Rick sighed and walked over to the door. "We fly out in an hour. After that it won't matter." Rick opened the door, walked into the hallway, and closed the door behind him.

XxxXxxX

Kate answered her phone after seeing the caller ID. "Hi, Dad."

"I'm told Rick came to see you," Jim said.

"To tell you that the sky is falling. Yes, he did," Kate admitted.

"And told you that he loves you. That he told you that he loved you when you got shot. You told me that you didn't remember being shot. What are you doing, Katie?" Jim asked her.

"It's not what you think, Dad." Kate didn't need to do this now.

"I have a question. If Rick is right nuclear missiles are going to start flying and we'll all die. So my question is do you love Rick or do you love Josh? Your life is on the line here," Jim reminded her.

"I'm trying but it's not that easy." Kate still didn't know what to do. This was her heart they were talking about.

"Well, time is up. Rick's flying out in under an hour and if he's right you'll never, ever see him again. If he's wrong you may still never see him again. He'll think that you love Josh and never talk to you again," Jim warned her.

"I just can't, Dad. I can't." Kate hung up on him. Losing Rick scared her more than she would ever admit. But admitting that she loved him was almost worse.

"Damn it, Katie!" Jim put his phone down. He knew Katie had issues but enough of them to kill herself and end what she could have with Rick? He was convinced that she didn't love Josh. It was just that you couldn't talk her into anything. Even if it killed her and this time it just might.

Jim decided drastic action was required. He hurried into his bedroom and pulled out a suitcase, the biggest one he had. He packed it with everything he could think of.

XxxXxxX

Kate was sitting on her sofa and had already finished one bottle of wine and pulled out another tissue to wipe away her tears. She loved Rick and she knew it. Josh was just someone who was safe. Half the time he never there so that made him safe. She didn't have to risk anything. Certainly not her heart.

She wanted to love Rick and love him like she wanted to love someone. It was just that telling him that she loved him came with so much worry. Yes, she was scared but she was never going to admit it to someone.

Then suddenly her front door opened and in walked her dad, dragging a suitcase behind him. "Dad?" Kate sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

"You can hate me now or you can hate me later, but I'm your dad and if Jo was here she would be doing this instead of me." Jim closed the door and walked to stand in front of her.

"Question: do you love Rick? Are you so willing to lose him because you can't decide what to do? You talk about him constantly. It's always Rick this and Rick that. The only time you ever mention Josh is to tell me he is leaving again." Jim was going to push her since the possible alternative meant death.

"So why are you crying?" Jim questioned her. He watched her cry even harder. "I'll go pack for you while you call Rick and tell the man that you love him and that you don't want to lose him. Make no mistake, Katie, even if this city doesn't go up in a nuclear mushroom, He. Will. Not. Be. Back. You two will be over forever. You can leave Josh a sorry voice mail." Jim left her and strode into her bedroom to find the biggest suitcase he could find and pack for her.

XxxXxxX

Rick was tempted to ignore the call when he saw who was calling. He had made one little side trip to add to what he wanted to take and was almost home when his phone rang.

He pressed accept on the screen in his dashboard. "What do you want, Beckett?"

"I'm sorry, Rick, I'm so sorry. I just want you. I can try and explain if you'll let me. If you'll still have me." She had made it past her major fear but now she had a new one. Was Rick done with her and didn't want her any longer? She had made so many mistakes and they were all coming home to roost in one single day.

"Do you know where the private hangar is at the airport?" Rick asked her.

It wasn't the answer Kate was looking for. She felt like she was risking her heart and if this didn't work out she might as well be dead. "Yes." It had taken her a moment to think, but yes, she knew where it was.

"You and your dad have 45 minutes to get there with what you want to bring. If you're late, that's it," Rick warned her.

"We can do it." Kate turned to look at her bedroom and wondered what her dad was actually packing for her.

"I need to hear those three little words, Kate." He really would tell her to forget it if she couldn't do it.

Kate opened her mouth and found the words trapped in her throat. Her fears really were getting to her. Dr. Burke had once asked her if she was worried that he wouldn't wait or if she was worried that he would. She cleared her throat loudly and winced; that must have sounded terrible. "I love you. …I love you, I love you, I love you." Now that she had said it she found it got easier.

"Forty-five minutes, Kate. Get your dad and don't be late…or else." Rick hung up on her and made a turn at the next intersection.

"I heard that, Katie." Kate snapped her head around and saw her dad standing just beyond her bedroom. She dropped her phone, covered her mouth with both hands, and sobbed.

She was still scared. Scared that he would get tired of her. Scared that she would screw this up so royally that it would kill her.

"Help me pack or do you want to keep crying?" Jim was all smiles. His daughter had finally chosen to live life and not live to chase his dead wife.

XxxXxxX

They hadn't trusted an Uber and weren't sure they could trust the subway system. "Time?" Jim asked as they stepped out of the taxi and looked at the building that was the private terminal at the airport.

Kate looked at her father's old watch on her wrist. "Five minutes. We need to run." Kate ran next to her dad, crashed through the front door, and into the space.

Everyone in the room turned to look at them. The first person Kate saw was Rick. She left her suitcase behind, ran to him to wrap her arms around him, and kissed him soundly. Breaking from the kiss she smiled wide at him. "I love you, I love you, I love you." The more she said it the easier it got and suddenly her heart felt so very different.

"This is who we're waiting for?" Chelsea questioned Rick.

"Yes, we're all here now," Rick said and didn't let go of Kate. She was here and he was over the moon with that.

"Then let's move. Justin's been checking over the jet and making it ready," Chelsea told them since her husband was the pilot of this group.

XxxXxxX

Kate saw Rick, Alexis who was standing close to a boy, Martha, a woman she had just learned was named Chelsea, and a little boy that had to be about five years old.

"Grab your bags and let's get moving before the FAA grounds all of us." Chelsea took her son's hand, walked to a door, and went through it.

Rick let go of her and she hated it already. Still she went back to her bag and followed everyone else outside. Once through the door she saw a jet and it was tiny. The door was open and there was a man walking around it still checking it out.

"Ready, babe?" Chelsea asked him.

"All set. Everyone on, drop your bags up front, and find a place to sit." He used his arm to motion everyone up the stairs.

Martha went first, followed by Alexis and what Kate was guessing was her young man, then her dad, followed by her, then Rick. Chelsea and her son came next with her husband being last and he closed the door.

Kate saw that the plane had a low ceiling, a single seat on either side of the aisle, and just enough seats for everyone. All eight of them. Kate took a seat across the aisle from Rick. What she really wanted to do was sit next to him. However, at least she was there.

"Buckle up, everyone," Chelsea called out and made sure her son was buckled in his seat then sat across from him.

They all heard the engines fire up and while it felt like forever they started to move. It seemed to move like molasses as far as Kate was concerned. Looking at Rick she noticed that he only had eyes for her. She smiled at him and felt a blush starting up her neck. "Where are we going?" Kate only knew what Rick had told her. Beyond that she knew nothing.

"Kansas," Chelsea informed her.

"We're next, get ready back there," Chelsea's husband called out.

"Kansas. What's in Kansas?" Kate queried.

Chelsea explained briefly. "It's an old missile base built during the Cold War. The military decommissioned it so we bought it and turned it into a doomsday bunker for a time like this one. It has common areas for everyone. Mostly each level is a bedroom. It cost a lot to build so it cost a lot to buy a floor."

That had Kate looking at Rick, wondering how much he'd spent, and how many floors he'd bought.

"I think I have a brochure in my bag that I can get you once we are at cruising altitude and it's safe," Chelsea said.

Kate had a window like everyone else did so she watched New York City disappear. If Rick was right she was never going to see it again.

Rick reached across the aisle to touch her arm. "Hey." Kate turned to look at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I was actually just wondering if I was ever going to see the city again. And not really sure what living underground is going to be like." No windows, no sun, no rain, no snow, and no a lot of things.

"Not everything is below ground. Yes, all of the common areas and the floors that hold bedrooms are. However, there is an above ground area. You'll get to see it since we will be landing next to it," Chelsea explained.

XxxXxxX

The jet had a bathroom and it was tiny, really, really tiny. Kate didn't see Rick being able to use it. He was just too big for this space. When she got back to her seat and with a small bottle of water, she found said brochure waiting for her.

Kate looked at where she was going because of Castle. She found that the silo had been turned into fourteen different levels. There was an elevator along with a single set of stairs to reach every level.

Seven of the levels were meant to be bedrooms. There were supposed to be three bedrooms and two bathrooms per floor. Laundry room and two separate living rooms were on either side of the silo.

Kate began counting. There were six of them so had Rick bought two floors. She couldn't help but wonder just what he had paid for each floor.

The first floor of the silo itself looked to be all mechanicals. They could make their own water, clean the air, and reuse part of the water as gray water. It was also where the secondary power was located. The next level down was all storage filled with mostly food and other supplies.

The third floor was the common living room, kitchen, and dining area along with still more storage. Then came seven floors of bedrooms.

The eleventh level was a hydroponics floor filled with vertical farming of leafy vegetables and herbs. The twelfth floor had an exercise room, theater room, medical facility, and a bar.

The next level down had a pool! A pool on one side and two Jacuzzis on the other. "Pool?" Kate looked at Rick who looked to be sleeping. Just like he'd done on the flight from LA. It suddenly reminded her of her letter. He'd been right, she was fighting it. Maybe she was still fighting it a bit. But at least she was here.

The final floor was all waste recycling from the kitchen, toilets, and laundry. Sink water was considered gray water and reused after being cleaned.

That took her back up to the above ground level. She was actually a little surprised to see something above the ground.

This space was several times the size of the silo itself which was dead center. Up there behind two layers of six feet of reinforced concrete with water between each wall was a whole lot of storage along with work areas. It was there that they could repair almost everything this place had along with lots of spare parts.

The ceiling of this level was all solar panels. Most generated power while a few heated water for showers, laundry, and kitchen use.

Then finally she saw what each floor cost. Each three bedroom floor that had three king-sized beds. Kate whistled and turned to look at Rick who was still sleeping.

"Jeez, Castle." He had to have at least bought two floors. He couldn't expect her to share a bed with him, did he? And just where was her dad sleeping?

Next came a few pictures and a few drawings of what various areas would look like. "WOW!" Kate saw a drawing of the pool area. It was round with steps leading into it and chaise lounges around one edge. One wall was supposedly windows with an evening view of the outside. There were pot lights in the ceiling and terracotta floor tiles.

The living room didn't look overly special. It was filled with beige leather lounge chairs. The dining room had two large tables that could each seat fourteen people with dark wood tables and dark wood chairs.

Even the kitchen was large and galley style. It had two side by side French door style refrigerator/freezers. There were two electric ranges with ovens and a microwave over each. Two dishwashers and one wall that was the pantry.

The movie theater was going to have six large comfortable chairs with a popcorn machine. The ceiling was painted to look like a twilight sky and was lit with LED stars to match the sky above them. There were also movie posters on the walls. The screen was listed as being 120 inches which had Kate whistling again.

Then came a picture of a bedroom that had her whistling yet again. It was larger than she thought it would be. The bed had drawers under the bed. The floor was tile and opposite the bed was a large TV for watching late night movies.

There was a drawing of the bar that was really small but it had a pool table and a foosball table along with an elevated shuffle board table. It had pucks to push on shuffleboard wax. It was small but it was nice. She even saw TV screens hanging in various locations.

Then she saw a drawing but didn't know where it was located. It was a wine room. Three walls filled with wine from floor to ceiling. There had to be hundreds of bottles of wine. She wondered about harder alcohol along with beer. The room was narrow but really long and filled with wine and lots and lots of wood.

XxxXxxX

Kate was jolted awake just as they touched down. A quick look told her that Rick was awake as well. Exiting the plane they had to walk a little ways and Kate was greeted with a huge ceiling of solar panels and a large concrete wall.

"Follow me while my husband secures the plane and refuels it. Just in case this is a false alarm and we all get to go back home," Chelsea told them.

Kate watched her escort her son to these massive doors that rivaled the ones in Cheyenne Mountain. Her palm got them to open. Just a few feet inside was yet another door that required yet another palm print to open. This opened into an expansive area that was all the maintenance as far as the eye could see along with a lot of storage.

"Follow me." Chelsea led them to yet another door just like the first two. This one took a palm print to open and led to the elevator and stairs that led to all the levels below.

"It looks like we're the first ones here. The others will be joining us shortly. When they do we'll close and lock all the doors. I'll show you to your two floors and let you get settled. When the others arrive we'll all meet in the main common room for orientation."

It turned out that they were levels four and five or the very first floors of bedrooms.

"Your keys." Chelsea held them out for everyone to take one. "I'll let you decide who goes where. There's an intercom system that I'll be using after everyone gets here." She smiled and left them.

"Each floor is the same so we might as well start with this one." Rick used his key to open it.

Everyone searched each and every room. Each room was actually rather nice and looked expensive. All of the finishes were really nice.

"Coffee?" Kate questioned when they reached the last room since there was no sign of even a tiny kitchen with so much as a microwave.

"Kitchen," Rick pointed at the floor meaning way down there somewhere.

Kate pointed out another item. "I noticed the brochure said each level had two living rooms. This level only has one and the other is filled with crates."

"Extra supplies," Alexis explained. "When Dad does something he has a tendency to over do it. So we have several hundred pounds of extra supplies. Food, feminine products, and other things. It was my idea." If her dad was going to do this she wanted what she was going to need and not what her dad wanted.

"Thank you." Kate liked Alexis a little more.

"Michael and I will take the next level down. You four can decide where you want to be," Alexis said and left them to go stake out her room and which room was Michael's.

"I'm with Alexis." Martha left them to make sure she didn't get the worst room down there.

XxxXxxX

Kate had chosen a room, left her suitcase behind, and went in search of Rick. He was in his bedroom sitting on the bed. "Castle?" She wasn't sure what she was going to say. She didn't want to lose him so that was what had gotten her here. However, she was still guarding her heart and she knew it.

Rick glanced up and looked at her but didn't say anything.

"I'm still really sorry, Castle. Yes, I heard you when I was shot and no, I didn't say anything. I'd been shot and I was hurting in more ways than one. The pain of recovery was terrible and I made my dad miserable. I said and did a lot of awful things.

"Part of it was a dream or it felt like a dream. Me wishing that you had actually said that you loved me and part of me was scared to death. I had lost my mother and yes, it hurt.

"I'm nobody. I'm just a cop. You're a rich handsome writer so why would you want me? The pain made me think all kinds of things.

"You never said it again so I told myself that I had dreamed it. That you didn't really love me. My therapist challenged me a lot over what I thought I knew and what I did know. One time he asked me if I was afraid that you weren't willing to wait for me or if I was afraid that you would. I didn't have an answer for him. So I tried to work it out and hoped that you would wait.

"I'm a mess, Castle, and I know it. At the start I thought you were just a playboy jackass looking to get in my pants and yes, I hated you. Roy let you stay and I was stuck with you, but you weren't going to get past my walls. Then things changed over time. I couldn't help but not love you. Just what would you do when you found out what a mess I was? What if you really were just a playboy looking for sex? I'm still a mess.

"Say something, Castle." He was just sitting there, not saying anything.

"You're right. I was a playboy jackass and yes, I was looking to get into your pants. I needed to change if I was going to win you over. Then you threw Demming in my face." He still hated that guy.

"You left with Gina. Arm in arm. What was I supposed to think?" Kate argued.

"That was Gina's idea. I told her that I had asked you out to the Hamptons but you turned me down so she came up with a face-saving idea. I drove her home then went out to the Hamptons all alone," Rick explained.

"God. I broke up with Demming so I could go with you but then you didn't even call." Kate was still angry over that period of time.

"Why should I? You had Demming. You were going to go to a beach house with him and probably have an orgy. Why should I call when you had chosen him?" Rick's face was getting red. "By the time I figured out he was gone Josh was there. You let him up onto the floor and hugged him and kissed him right in front of me. You'd made your choice and it wasn't me. Then I heard you tell that guy that you remembered everything about your shooting.

"That told me you were playing with me. You were being cruel and mean on purpose. I didn't want to believe it but there it was right in front of me. You lied. I'm still working on why your first reaction to anything is to lie to me." Rick still hated her for that even if he couldn't help but love her.

"That's why you left. You stopped taking my calls. So why am I here now?" Kate asked. "You could have just left me to my fate."

"Something my mother said. 'Love doesn't have an off switch.' You can't just stop loving someone overnight.

"Then Guam was nuked and everyone is talking war. If they can nuke Guam they can nuke Seoul, South Korea or any part of Japan they want to. China gets involved then Russia gets involved. Iran takes advantage of the situation. Without supplies Israel will just wither up and die. Armageddon was coming.

"I decided that even if you weren't ready to hear it I needed to risk it. As I expected you blew me off so I figured you really did love Josh and it was over." Rick shook his head and sighed.

"Then I called because my dad challenged me." Kate watched Rick nod. Then she saw him open something and take something out.

"I bought something on my way home from talking to you. If you actually showed up I was going to give it to you." Rick silently showed her the little purple box and Kate froze. She stopped breathing, knowing what was in boxes that looked like that. She took a shuddering breath as he opened it. "Money didn't have any meaning any longer so I bought the best they had," he explained.

Kate was still standing there, mute and stiff as a board. She watched as he took it out of the box and watched him lift her left hand and with tears flowing she watched him slide a gorgeous engagement ring onto her finger.

It was far too much in her mind, however, she knew what he was doing. She looked up from the ring on her finger to his face and tried so very hard to get the words out. Her heart was beating so fast and the words were trapped in her throat.

She believed no man was ever going to want to marry her. She wasn't worth it and Rick deserved so much better than her. All of those woman had boobs that she didn't have. She still couldn't really believe he wanted her.

Since she couldn't get the words out she jumped at him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him. She kissed him harder than she had kissed him when Lockwood had Javi and Kevin. Maybe if she couldn't say anything she could at least show him.

XxxXxxX

Rick and Kate were the last to arrive in the common room after hearing Chelsea's voice for everyone to come down to the living room.

"All of you know me and my husband and our son. We have Richard Castle, his daughter Alexis, his mother Martha Rodgers, friends Michael Bennet, Kate Beckett, and Jim Beckett. Mark Howard and his wife Beth. Their son Steven. Jimmy Lansing and his wife Monica with their twins Leslie and Jennifer. Finally Kirk Doward, his wife Vicki, and their twins Monica and David.

"Welcome, all of you." Chelsea gave them a moment to recognize each other.

"This room isn't just the living room so you can watch TV or meet the others. The room through that door is also the control room. In that room we can monitor what's happening outside. So long as the satellites keep working we'll know what's happening.

"As each of you know we have the wherewithal to stay here for a very long time. Our supplies are enormous plus we have a way to grown our own food. So long as we have working solar panels our power capability can meet all our needs. Our emergency backup power will last for approximately three years. Hopefully we can find a way to repair the solar panels if something goes really wrong.

"There are no strategic value targets where we are in Kansas so a direct hit isn't expected. Even if one does land near here we'll survive it. This silo is built to survive a direct hit let alone one far away. The building on ground level and the panels are designed to handle an F5 tornado or the strongest hurricane on record.

"At the present time all the blast doors are closed and locked and will stay that way until events cause us to change that.

"As for who cooks, for now we are going to leave that to each of you. You feed your families. Perhaps as we adapt we'll start something else. Just remember, do _not_ create too much trash. Anything you make will need to be eaten. We have a lot of supplies, however, we still need to be careful.

"We have every movie ever made or you can watch satellite TV until it stops. We've also downloaded every book that's available. As for school for the children, you already know that home schooling will be the norm. Again we have downloaded every book that was available.

"For now, walk around the place and get used to where everything is and how it works. This is home until either calmer minds prevail, or for forever, or at least until it's safe to go back outside.

"Hopefully the two jets will survive. We also have some quads and one eight wheel quad. We also have a pair of Mosquitoes we can use. Each quad has a trailer. They all run on natural gas since gasoline can break down and become useless save for the jets.

"Weapons down here are forbidden. All weapons are locked away for use later if need be.

"The concrete walls are thick and the water between them is meant to diffuse any radiation that rolls across the ground and prevent it from entering the site. We have radiation cleaning supplies if need be.

Chelsea finished up her indoctrination speech. "For now I'm going to leave you on your own. Go where you wish. This is your home as much as mine so get used to it."

"You look worried." Rick looked at Alexis since she didn't look okay to him.

"I let you talk me into this, but this is just so different. Even if we aren't alone." Alexis was finding that living in this place was not how she saw her life playing out.

"There are others?" Kate questioned her.

"The company that Dad bought these two floors from had three other sites that I know of. Two are in Texas and one's in South Dakota. Each is basically the same as this place," Alexis said.

That was something Kate didn't know. "You okay, Dad?" He was as quiet as Michael and Martha had been so far.

"It's like being trapped on a cruise ship save that we aren't going anywhere. I guess I'm still coming to terms with what got us here. I don't mean you, Rick," Jim assured him.

"I know, Jim. I'm just reacting to what we're doing to ourselves." Rick shook his head. "People's egos are just too big for their own good."

"Says the man with the big head," Kate razzed and grinned at him.

"She's got you there, Dad," Alexis smiled as she piled it on.

"Ha, ha." Rick didn't take offense. He knew his ego was bigger than normal.

"You'd better have put more than one of your toys in your bag or you're going to drive all of us mad," Alexis teased him.

"Complete with video camera," Rick smiled back at her.

"Sorry I asked. Good luck, Kate, you're going to need it." Alexis gave Kate a little credit. At least she was here and hadn't blown her dad off which she knew would hurt him badly.

Kate patted her hands down her body. "I forgot my weapon," she deadpanned.

"I need a drink," Rick announced and turned to leave the room. He was happy that he found Kate right next to him.

"Beer, vodka, tequila, scotch, gin?" Kate asked him. She already knew they had wine and a lot of it.

"Yes," Rick replied then smiled and continued walking toward the bar.

XxxXxxX

Kate found that the bar was indeed small and while what was there was a bit limited, it had everything she thought she was going to need. They got what they wanted and found a place to sit down. "I'm still really sorry, Castle." She had almost lost him because of her own doing.

"You're here now," Rick pointed out.

"Dad came by with a packed bag and told me to pull my head out of my ass. Told me to call you while he went into my bedroom to pack me a suitcase," Kate explained.

It told Rick that his stop to talk to Jim had done some good. However, it also told him that Kate wasn't here because of him and what he had said. At least not directly. It had been Jim that had gotten her here.

"So you love me?" Rick got back to that since it meant so very much to him.

"I love you," Kate asserted. "More than I thought was possible. Scared the hell out of me. I loved Mom and she died. I loved my dad and he became an alcoholic."

"And I'm a twice divorced man with a teenage daughter. A man who the press has written up to be a playboy who has sex with anyone who comes his way." Rick knew what it looked like.

"Why?" Kate asked him. She had long since learned that when it came to being a father he was likely the best. She didn't blame him for some of the women that were in his life. After all, she'd done far worse. She also knew why he was divorced from Meredith and Gina.

"Why did it start? Mostly because I was young and stupid. Any young man's perfect dream. Beautiful young women with big chests that are all over me. Having them drop their tops so I could sign their chests.

"Gina and Paula dreamed it up and I went for it hook, line, and sinker. Ever heard the saying too much of a good thing? Well amazingly it got tiresome really fast. It was all so fake.

"I sometimes even question my name, which wasn't my idea, by the way. Richard Rodgers pretending to be Richard Castle so I could get my books sold. Stay on the New York Times best seller list. Make the money I didn't have when I was growing up. To give my family what I didn't have."

Rick abruptly changed the subject. "What did you tell Josh?" he asked.

"I left him a voice mail telling him that we were over and that he wouldn't find me when he came back," Kate said.

"I still don't see what you saw in him." Rick hated him and not because he had Kate and he didn't. That guy just rubbed him the wrong way.

"At first it was because he had a motorcycle so we had something in common. Then I found out that he wasn't even going to be in the States for several months so that made him safe." Kate shrugged.

"Safer than loving me," Rick murmured.

"Yeah." Kate downed her drink and got up to refill it since she needed something to loosen her tongue. "He wasn't even any good in bed. The worst I've ever had, actually." One more reason she was happy that he was out of the country a lot.

"So you lied." Rick remembered her talking about just how good in bed he was. The best she had ever had, even.

Kate had only just finished refilling her glass when she downed it then refilled it and sat down again. "I did." She had done a lot of lying.

"Why? Why is your first response to me always a lie? Lies only get worse over time the more you let them be. The truth might hurt but at least you don't have to keep track of who you lied to and what you lied about." It had to be really tiring to keep track of all those lies.

Kate was saved when Chelsea's voice came over the speakers. "Everyone to the main common room now, please."

"Now what?" Kate got up and walked next to Rick all the way. Turned out they were last.

"We've learned something that you should all know. Seoul, South Korea has been nuked. We don't know how but it doesn't take a genius to guess who. Unless calmer heads prevail this could be the beginning of the end," Chelsea informed all of them.

Stunned, everyone just sat there and tried to think.

"It might not be the end of everything," someone Kate didn't know said.

"True. It might stop at two, but you can bet the United States is now at war. Given where the war will take place it's a sure bet that China will be involved. What they do might decide what ultimately happens." Chelsea really didn't know.

"Our president is a hawk," Rick reminded people. "His entire staff is, for that matter."

Someone offered their thoughts about the president. "I always thought he was all talk and no action."

"The TV is all news now. You can stay and watch if you wish or go where you want. I'll try and keep you updated with any breaking news if you choose not to stay." It was all Chelsea had for them.

Alexis and Michael chose to leave immediately. "It's five o'clock somewhere," Martha announced, knowing where the wine was kept.

Jim sat down in the chair next to Kate since it was empty now. "Sorry I talked you into this?" he asked her.

"Never, Dad. Lanie, Javi, and even Kevin tried to get me to see but I wouldn't. I'm just sorry it took this to get me to wake up." Kate saw so much time wasted because of her.

"Lanie!" She got her cell phone out and got up and walked away. She hadn't talked to anyone about any of this yet.

It allowed Jim to move next to Rick. "The doors are locked, aren't they?" Jim questioned him.

"Yes. No one goes out and no one can come in now." Rick turned to look at Kate who was talking to someone. "I didn't have space for everyone. I'm not that rich." Actually he was almost broke now.

"You can tell me to mind my own business–" Rick interrupted him and answered his question that he hadn't even asked yet.

"Four point five million per floor. Everyone here or in the other three sites has spent a fair amount of money to be here. To try and either save their own skins or save their families." Rick knew everyone here came with a family.

That told Jim he'd spent nine million dollars in fear of what might happen. Yet it had happened so he couldn't fault him.

"Kate tells me I have you to thank for her being here." Rick would've preferred that she'd come to that realization on her own. But she hadn't and he still had to come to terms with that.

"Katie is just like her mother, headstrong and stubborn. You can't talk her into anything unless she's already reached that conclusion. Katie does love you, Rick. She just needed a good push. I found her crying and in pain after you had talked to her.

"She knew, she just needed to prove it to herself. Now that she's here you can expect her to fight to stay here, to keep you. Just be ready for one of her stubborn streaks. Even Jo and I had arguments. Didn't mean we stopped loving the other. It takes more work than you or Katie might think. You two are still in the honeymoon love phase. The trick is how to keep that feeling for as long as possible. Katie hates boredom and this place has bored written all over it," Jim warned him.

"Yeah, I was afraid you would say that. Good thing I'm ready then." Rick smiled at him since he and Kate were a lot a like in that way. He hated being bored in the worst way. They really were perfect for each other.

XxxXxxX

There were two bathrooms for the three bedrooms and somehow they'd managed to each use them while not interfering with each other. That would likely have to change in the future.

Rick was in his shorts, sitting on his bed, thinking. It had been a long day, a really long day. It didn't help that it was past midnight. He was still amazed that Kate and Jim were actually here. He'd really thought that he and Kate were over. She had made her choice and was going to stick with it, no matter what. Somehow he and Jim had reached her. Though he feared greatly that the reason for this place was behind it all.

Then there was a knock on his door and before he could get up to open it the door opened and he watched Kate saunter in wearing shorts and a t-shirt. A t-shirt that clearly showed that she wasn't wearing a bra. He saw her close the door behind her and even lock it. "Kate?" She walked over to him and placed a finger over his lips to silence him. Then she replaced her finger with her lips.

XxxXxxX

Kate was awake but she was still tired since she hadn't gotten much sleep. It was her damned internal clock that had her awake. Though it gave her a chance to look at a naked Rick.

She wouldn't call what they had done last night making love. It had almost been a no holds barred fight that happened to include kissing, biting, and lots of sex.

He had pounded her from behind and she had wanted it. She'd begged him to go faster and harder. She was also betting that she had hickeys all over the place. Not that Rick didn't have a few of his own. She'd made sure of that. It had been hard and fast even if it had lasted at least two hours.

Rick, though, had shown that he was an expert compared to Josh. That man didn't have a clue what to do with a woman. She had been so very stupid. But she was here now. In fact looking down showed her that whatever Rick was dreaming, it involved him having an erection which was maybe a surprise given what they had done last night.

But now she wanted to show that she knew what to do for a man. To make love to him so she worked her way down until she had him in her mouth. It only took a moment or two for her to notice that Rick was awake.

XxxXxxX

The shower was big enough for two people given that it actually had two shower heads. Both of them were in the shower though they weren't really taking a shower. Neither of them were trying to get clean. Mostly it was all kissing then Rick lifted her up and pressed her against the shower wall and Kate moaned as he entered her.

Now both of them were standing there brushing their teeth while still naked. Suddenly her mind went to birth control. She had a very active sex drive and could see them making love at least twice a day from now on. She had her pills but those would run out eventually. She hoped Alexis had added those kind of things in those crates the other side of that wall over there.

"Rick." Kate was done and snuggled up close to him and now she could cherish feeling his arms around her while she pressed her face into his naked chest and breathed in his scent.

"If it's too fast tell me, but can I move into your bedroom? If the closet isn't big enough I can leave all my clothes or most of them in my room. It's just that I love you and I want to keep you and show you how much I love you every chance I get." Kate didn't have the courage to look at him so she kept her face pressed into his chest.

"I thought you would never ask. I'll empty the top right drawer for you to use," Rick told her.

"Just so you don't look through my drawer and keep your hands off my underwear," Kate cautioned him.

"No promises. You didn't happen to bring any sexy underwear?" Rick was dying to see just how sexy she could look.

"Maybe." Kate was thankful that she had snuck in a few things after her dad had started packing for her. She had even brought every condom she owned when her dad wasn't looking.

Suddenly Chelsea's voice sounded over the speaker in the bathroom. "I know it's early but everyone needs to come to the common living room again, please."

XxxXxxX

Rick and Kate were last again. They had to sneak out of the bathroom and into each of their bedrooms to get dressed then down the lone elevator to reach it.

"Last night, a few of us have learned, was very active. To be concise, two more nuclear devices have gone off in South Korea as well as one on the coast of Japan. The one in Japan is speculated to have been on a Japanese fishing boat that had been captured then taken into the harbor and detonated.

"While as bad as that may sound the United States has responded with nine of their own nuclear devices. Basically almost all of North Korea is now radioactive. The loss of life from all of these events is staggering.

"What we don't know is what happens next. If you're religious I would suggest that you start praying that calmer heads prevail or this could get really ugly very fast. …Questions?" Chelsea didn't know a whole lot more and neither did the news stations. It was mostly speculation.

"Communications?" Rick queried.

"Everything still works, both our communications and your own cell phones. Just remember if you talk to someone there are three locked doors between them and us and they _will_ be staying that way. I'm sorry if that sounds unfair, but it's not about being fair. This place is full and we can't support any more people. It's designed for what we have." Chelsea needed to make that plain for everyone.

That had Alexis and Michael looking at each other. Neither of them had liked the rules but they could live with them. It sucked but what could they do?

XxxXxxX

It had been a week and the news was still all about how North Korea was effectively gone. Unfortunately so was South Korea. They were all talking about what came next.

While the news was still popular Kate had a mission that she needed to do. It was impossible to avoid so she was going to approach it head-on. She had searched almost everywhere and was now on the same floor that Alexis's bedroom was on and found her in the living room watching the news in private.

"Hi," Kate said and moved to sit down on the sofa yet kept her distance.

"Detective," Alexis responded and Kate knew this was going to be hard and a challenge. The fact that Alexis hadn't nuked her in her father's eyes was about all she had to work on.

"Can we talk?" Kate asked her.

"Is there something we need to talk about?" Alexis replied flatly. She and her dad were here instead of two more of her friends. It was her dad's money so it was his rules and she could accept that.

Kate heard she wasn't well-liked and was expecting this greeting. "I get that I'm not your favorite person."

"That's putting it mildly." Alexis kept watching the TV which was all news.

"You didn't nuke me with your dad like you could've done. You had the power to make sure he never talked to me again," Kate said.

"It's Dad's life. He can do what he wants with it. Even if that means you. I would never tell him what to do, but if you're here looking to make friends you came to the wrong place," Alexis informed her coolly.

"I came to try and make amends even if it's just a little. If things get worse we're going to all be stuck here," Kate mentioned however Alexis remained silent.

Kate said what was obvious. "You don't like me."

Alexis's eyes practically sparked with anger. "After what you've done to my dad? How you treated him? Paraded your boyfriends in front of him. Even Esposito piled on from what my dad tells me. Dad can forgive you but I think you can go now," Alexis informed her tersely.

"Alexis…" Kate really would like to bury the hatchet.

"Michael's parents might die because Dad invited you and your dad instead of them." Alexis turned off the TV, got up, and walked out on her.

Kate ran her hand through her hair. "Damn, damn, damn!" She knew that getting Alexis to even be a little on her side wasn't going to happen. She didn't know that Alexis's boyfriend's parents could have come instead of her and her dad. That certainly made things worse. She sighed and headed for her level so she could sit in that living room area and try and think what to do next. However, she ran into Martha at the door.

"Katherine. What brings you down here?" She didn't have to be on this level since they had common areas and even a bar and all that wine.

"I was trying to make amends with Alexis," Kate admitted wearily.

Martha heard it in her voice that it hadn't gone well. "Have a seat, dear. Kate, Alexis isn't ever going to be on your side. You've burned far too many bridges to ever reach her," Martha said since she knew what Alexis thought of her.

"Have I burned your bridges, too?" She was actually thinking that coming here was now a really bad idea.

"A few, yes. I just want my son to be happy. You happen to make him happy so I can enjoy that. As for Alexis." Martha sighed. "If she doesn't poison you to her father then you are safe. Just don't expect her to ever be on your side. So far as she's concerned you've done far too much damage."

"She mentioned that instead of Michael's parents my dad and I are here," Kate told if she didn't already know.

"That didn't help," Martha agreed. "You should do now what you should've done long before now. Alexis has the power to end anything between you and my son. If you don't change…" Martha left it unsaid.

Kate got it, she did. What she needed to do now was to think about it. There was a lot at stake.

XxxXxxX

There was no way out of this place even though no more nukes had been used by anyone. Kate kept doing what she had been doing after her talk with Alexis. While she hadn't moved out of her assigned bedroom, she never slept in that room again.

It was now six months later and Rick and Kate happened to be in the bar area. Chelsea's voice came over the intercom. "Can I have everyone assemble in the common living room area, please."

This time Kate and Rick weren't last. "As I'm sure most of you are aware additional nukes have not been used. The reason for this and the other bunkers is for events that got us all here in the first place. In communication with the other sites we have agreed that the need for us all to continue to utilize these sites no longer exists.

"As a result we're going to open the doors tomorrow. You will board the plane that got you here and we will fly you all back to where you started. Since you bought a floor you will still have ownership of that floor for the next time this site is required. Between now and that time we will be cleaning each site and resupplying it with what was used. This is not your permanent home as indicated in your sales agreement. This only becomes your permanent home under a potential devastating event.

"It has been my pleasure to serve each and every one of you during this time. Should we all ever meet here again I will look forward to serving each of you yet again. Everyone goes home tomorrow." Chelsea was done with her announcement.

"Home." Most everyone instantly started talking with who they came here with.

XxxXxxX

Neither Rick nor Kate had actually sold where they lived before coming to the bunker so they still each had somewhere to go. As did Jim and everyone else. However, they'd stopped making payments for things like water and electricity or any HOA fees if they had any. They were going to find that they couldn't just pick up where they left off.

Kate and others had the additional problem that they had left work and never come back. They were all effectively jobless.

XxxXxxX

Gates had cited sections from her precious book. Kate was fired no matter the cause and Gates didn't want her back. She had even forced her to leave her weapon and badge on her desk and ordered her out of the precinct.

Now weeks later she was sitting in her apartment. Her water and electricity was back on. Because of her conversation with Alexis she had broken up with Rick. It had hurt more than she could ever express. But she wasn't coming between Rick and Alexis. She was out and had accepted that.

Rick had been left behind, broken and shattered, and couldn't understand why she was doing this to them.

Right now Kate was sitting on her sofa sipping her wine and fighting her tears. She knew what she was doing was right, but that didn't make it any less painful. Only a knock on her door got her up.

She was about as depressed as she had ever been in her life. Breaking up with Rick was killing her. She was out of a job because she had left her work to follow Rick who was now gone from her life.

She didn't even bother to look who was at the door and opened it. "Alexis?" Dumbfounded, Kate watched her walk past her into her apartment.

"Okay, I don't like you. I hate what you've done to Dad and I never really will like you. You went to Stanford to attend pre-law classes so you must be smart. But for a smart person you're the stupidest person I've ever met!

"Dad's miserable and you've been crying." Alexis wasn't blind she could see that Kate had been crying. "You left Dad and hurt him yet again so no, I really don't like you. But I live in the university's dorms and not with Dad. Save for Grams he's all alone and suffering because of you. YOU! Not someone else, just you. So solve this problem or I really will hate you for the rest of my life. Dad loves you for reasons that escape me. However, I love my dad and he loves you. So fix this or I will find a way to make your life even more miserable than it already is.

"Don't make me be someone I don't want to be all because you're stupid and keep hurting my dad." Alexis was done and marched to the door that Kate had never actually closed and slammed it behind her.

Kate stood there in complete shock. She had been stunned into silence by Alexis who might not be an actual teenager any longer. She didn't actually know.

She had sworn to herself that she wouldn't hurt Rick again. At least not intentionally. Yet somehow with her best intentions she had done just that. Why couldn't she do anything right?

XxxXxxX

"Castle!" Kate yelled from the house's master bedroom and watched him stumbling all over himself as he rushed into the bedroom. It was amusing but she wasn't in the mood to laugh. "My water just broke."

"Your…? BABY!" It took his mind a moment to register what Kate had just told him. "Your go bag. Car keys. Wallet and cell phone. I need to call your dad. Are you okay? Is there any pain?" Rick came up to her and laid his hand on her very big belly.

"It's just my water, Castle." She felt fine though she knew that was going to change soon.

XxxXxxX

Kate had Alexis to thank for her present life. She had shocked her into doing what was right. She was never going to be one of Alexis's friends. It was just that she didn't have to be. She just had to love Rick and treat him like he deserved to be treated. For the last two years or more she had done just that. She had explained her actions to Rick and still was amazed that he had understood and she had begged him not to be angry with Alexis.

While in the bunker they hadn't been officially married. Once they were back together again it took only three months for them to be married. Since Kate couldn't get her job back, Rick had come up with an answer to that problem.

He had sold the loft over Kate's objections and had gotten Martha to move into her apartment since she owned it. He sold the house in the Hamptons and used that money to buy a home in Rye, New York, after she had gotten a job there. Gates may not want her but other places did.

They had settled on buying a condominium in a fifty-five unit complex. Three bedrooms with a den for Rick to write in and three and a half bathrooms. Two thousand six hundred and one square feet of space on the third floor of a three floor building. Thankfully the building they were in had a central elevator.

Three club rooms, indoor pool, golf simulator, exercise room, walking paths, water features, and outdoor fire pits for them to use. Italian designed kitchen, heated floors everywhere, 10-foot ceilings everywhere, two gas fireplaces, Sub-zero and Bosche appliances, and other amenities.

It was even pet friendly though they didn't yet have a dog. Kate had talked him into baby first. All this for 3.015 million dollars. It left them with millions after the sale of the home in the Hamptons and the loft.

Kate was at the front door and was waiting on Rick who was still scrambling around trying to get everything done. She found it amusing, right up until the first contraction.

She watched Rick walk toward her with her go bag in hand, heard him say just one word, then he hung up on whoever it was. "Baby!"

"How are you doing? Any pain?" She loved him, she really did but there were times when he tested her patience.

Kate kissed him. "Let's just go, Castle." Kate made a low sound in the back of her throat from a contraction on the way to the car for the trip to the hospital.

"So what's Nikki doing now?" Kate questioned him as he drove. It was partly to find out and partly to take her mind off of her contractions.

"Huh?" Rick wasn't keeping up with what she was thinking this time.

"Never mind, just drive, Castle." She would get him to tell her later.

As usual Rick was behind on getting Gina chapters for her to edit. However, since he couldn't follow her around any longer with her new job, he had time to catch up. Mostly after she came home and got him to go back to writing instead of doing something else.

XxxXxxX

Fourteen hours later and Kate had a baby boy in her arms. Alexander Malcolm Castle, called Zander, had been born on the same day as Rick, April 1st. She truly understood why Rick had loved Alexis instantly. She loved him with all of her heart the moment she saw him. "He's beautiful, Rick." Her eyes were filled with tears and her heart felt like it never had before.

Rick had his phone out so he could tell Alexis first. She was still in the dorms and he only saw her every couple of weeks at best. Then Kate watched him point his phone at her and the baby and went back to talking to his daughter. Even Kate could hear Alexis's excited voice. "He's beautiful, Dad!"

Alexis still didn't like her but at least she didn't hate her. "Can you call Dad next for me, please," Kate asked him, not taking her eyes off the baby in her arms.

Their lives might not be what each of them had expected but both of them were happy. They didn't live in the loft but they also weren't living in Rick's bunker that he still owned. Kate couldn't talk him into selling his two floors. "It might be zombies next," had been his argument. Rather than fight with him she let him keep his two floors of bunker for the future.

Nations were still a bit jittery over what had happened. America was now a little more alone and they had a new president. Someone named William H. Bracken. What happened next was anyone's guess.

All of them kept a closer eye on what was happening on the planet in case they had to hurriedly pack and get to the airport for the flight back out to Kansas. However, life went on and kept changing for all of them.


End file.
